Vegetarian, especially vegan, diets reduce cholesterol levels, according to a review and meta-analysis authored by Physician Committee researchers and published in Nutrition Reviews. Researchers reviewed 49 observational and intervention studies that compared vegetarian and vegan diets with omnivorous diets and their effects on plasma lipids. Vegetarian diets lowered total cholesterol levels as well as LDL and HDL levels when compared to omnivorous diets. The greatest benefit on lipid levels was seen in those who followed vegan diets. Plant-based diets typically reduce body weight and saturated fat intake, which may benefit cholesterol management. These findings support previous associations of decreased cholesterol levels and vegetarian, especially vegan, diets.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, after lung cancer. The rates of lung cancer around the world vary by a factor of 10. If there was nothing we could do to prevent lung cancer—if it just happened at random—we’d assume that the rates everywhere would be about the same. But since there’s such a huge variation in rates, it seems like there’s probably some external cause. Indeed, we now know smoking is responsible for 90% of lung cancer cases. If we don’t want to die of the number-one cancer killer, we can throw 90% of our risk out the window just by not smoking.[Read more…]

In 1982, I co-authored (along with 12 other U.S. National Academy of Science NAS Committee members) a 482-page report on “Diet, Nutrition and Cancer.” It was the first institution-based report to suggest that diet and nutrition was impressively connected to human cancer. Recommendations were made to decrease dietary fat and increase consumption of vegetables, whole grains, fruits and legumes for cancer prevention—eventually leading to a whole food, plant-based diet, so to speak. [Read more…]

Atherosclerosis often starts in childhood, 20 years before a formal diagnosis. Vascular physiologist Michael Skilton, Ph.D., with the University of Sydney’s Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise, and Eating Disorders, suspects it starts in utero, based on the effect parents’ dietary choices have on the development of endothelial function, or development of cells that line the arteries.

According to the American Society of Nutrition, 97 percent of adults fall short on recommended dietary fiber intake, a nutrient only found in plants, with adults and teens consuming roughly half of the government’s recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.5 Only 13 percent of adults consume 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit, and just 9 percent eat 2 to 3 cups of vegetables each day. Our nation’s dietary patterns help illustrate why one-third of adults have elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure, and why two-thirds struggle with excess weight, three leading risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

The good news is that a plant-based dietary intervention is even more effective than today’s leading medications to treat and prevent heart disease, thanks to a high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, soy products, fiber, and phytochemicals and a reduced intake of saturated fats and cholesterol. About half of Americans, even those who maintain a healthful weight, still have at least one modifiable risk factor, such as high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol, for chronic disease. Integrating diet and other lifestyle changes—exercise, maintaining a healthful weight, avoiding tobacco, and limiting alcohol consumption—leaves consumers with only desirable side effects and can prevent around 80 percent of all premature heart disease cases.

It’s never too late to start: Studies show heart-attack survivors who adopt a high-fiber diet reduce the risk of a recurrence by about 40 percent, compared to survivors who make no dietary changes.

Full story: http://www.pcrm.org/health/heart/treat-and-prevent-atherosclerosis

A recent study suggested a trend toward reduced fertility with high alcohol consumption, more than 14 drinks a week, though results were not statistically significant[1]. Other studies support this finding but others disagree[1]. Apart from fertility, excessive alcohol use is associated with high-risk sexual behaviors and STD transmission[2], date rape and sexual assault[3]. Of course, alcohol consumption duringpregnancy is a bad idea, being a cause of miscarriage[4], fetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) and alcohol-related birth defects[5]. [Read more…]

High amounts of protein increases risk for heart failure in women, according to data presented this week at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting. Researchers tracked and compared different types of protein intake for 103,878 women from the Women’s Health Initiative. Those who consumed the most protein overall increased their risk for heart failure, compared with those who consumed the least. In addition, an increase in vegetable protein lowered the risk for heart failure, suggesting the link is with animal protein specifically.

Journey Butler is not your normal teenager. Sure she knows all the new dances and latest technology and styles but you won’t see her glued to an electronic device or television. The 13-year-old is a cheerleader, a gymnast, a poet, a Hip Hop and ballet dancer, model and a member of the nationally competitive double-dutch jump rope team dubbed the Greenbelt S.I.T.Y. Stars. She is also an aspiring rapper. View this adorable video about ratting out her older brother called “I’m Telling.” Journey also lights up every room she enters with her endearing smile. [Read more…]

Weight loss helps prevent brain damage caused by, according to a study published online in Diabetes Care. Researchers followed 319 participants with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity from the Action for Health in Diabetes study. Some participants received an intervention, including nutrition education, while the control group received no intervention. All participants underwent brain imaging and cognitive tests. Intervention group participants reduced their weight by 12 percent and improved their cardiorespiratory fitness, the body’s ability to oxygenate the muscles, by 26 percent, while those in the control group lost 1 percent of their weight and improved their cardiorespiratory fitness by 7 percent. Those in the intervention group had a 28 percent lower volume of white matter hyperintensity, or damaged areas of the brain, when compared to those in the control group.